Refrigerator



Sept. 10, 1929.

f C. G. JUNEAU ET AL REFRIGERATOR Filed April 4, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 uA figa g WM ya W W/VM// in Q? Sept. 10, 1929. c, JUNEAU 1- 1,727,713

REFRIGERATOR Filed April 4, 1927' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 10,1929.

NlTED STATES.

PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES G. JUNEAU, F WAUWATOSA, AND WALTER C. IYIARSHALL, 0F MILWAUKEE,

- WISCONSIN.

REFRIGERATOR.

Application filed April 4,

Our invention has for its object the pro vision of a refrigeratorconstruction whereby an improved method of air circulation is obtained,a more adequate refrigeration or cooling of the articles of food stuffprovided;

while at the same time contamination of certain food by reason of thepresence of other articles in the refrigerator is prevented.

With our improved construction a more 1 uniform cold temperature of theentire food holding portion of the refrigerator is obtained and as aresult a substantial equal chilling of all food studs is accomplished.

The objects and advantages of our invention will all be readilyunderstood from the detailed description of the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of our improved refrigerator.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view of portions of the walls of acompartment, with an air directing element.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4- of Figure 1looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a detail view in perspective of the cold air flow regulatingmeans.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modified-form of refrigeratorinvolving our improvements.

In theexemplification, our invention has been shown applied to ,a typeof refrigerator more generally used in railroad dining cars whereinmechanical refrigeration is employed; although it will be equallyapplicable to refrigerators for commercial and domestic use and whereinice is'employed as the cooling medium.

In -Figure 1 we show a double type of refrigerator provided with ourinvention and consisting of the double walled receptacle or box 10, withthe space between the walls filled with a suitable insulating ma-'terial such as cork and the like.

The upper part of the refrigerator is shown provided with a mechanicalrefrigerat g n nera y shown at 11, of a Well 1927. Serial N0. 180,640.

known type involving fin coils 12; the unit being arranged in acompartment formed by the heavy walls 13 forming sides and bottom walls,which may be provided with insulation therebetween in order to preventformation of condensate on the outer surface of said walls 13, andtherefore prevent dripping into the food holding compartmentstherebeneath. The Walls 18 are arranged in spaced relation with the mainside wall 10 and also at top in spaced relation with the main top of therefrigerator; while the bottom portions of the walls 13 are preferablymade sloping downwardly toward the vertical center of the refrigerator.The opposing lower ends of the bottom portions are spaced apartthroughout the horizontal depth of the refrigerator in order to providea horizontally elongated opening at 14, which communicates with theupper end of a cold air duct 15 which leads to the bottom of therefrigerator and extends from front to rear of the refrigerator. Thebottom portions of the Walls 13, adjacent to the opening 14 are eachshown provided with an upstanding lip or flange 16' for the purpose ofpreventing dripping of the condensate into the cold air duct 15; and forthat reason a shield or bafi'le plate 17 is arranged above the opening14, extending throughout the length of said openin the shield slopingtoward opposite sides of the vertical center and to points be- .-yondthe vertical planes of the lips or flanges 16..

Where a mechanical refrigerating unit is employed, the copper tubes, asshown at 18, are carried downwardly to the bottom of the refrigeratorwhere they unite. As the refrigerating unit forms no partof ourinvention, a more detailed description of its construction and operationneed-not be entered into; it being understood that ice or any othercooling medium may be employed.

The refrigerator beneath the refrigera ion element holding compartmentformed by walls 13 is provided with a series of independent compartmentsformed by the walls 19 and 20, of any suitable material, as'for examplesheet metal, extending from front to rear of the refrigerat rr In thelarge or double type refrigerator shown in Figure 1, the walls 19, 19are arranged in spaced relation to provide the cold air duct or passagewhile the walls 20, 20 are arranged in spaced relation with the sidewalls of the refrigerator proper so as to provide the two warm air ducts21, 21 which extend from the main bottom of the refrigerator to the topof the compartment walls 13 and communicate with the refrigeratingmedium holding compartment by the passages 22. The walls 19 and 20preferably terminate a slight distance above the main bottom of'therefrigerator so as to leave the passages 23 in order that completecirculation beneath the lowermost compartments may take place; thepassages 23 providing communication between the cold air duct 15 and thewarm air ducts 21. The side walls 19 and 20 at suitable predeterminedpoints are formed to support the solid plate trays or shelves 24, whichmay be permanently or removably secured in place. As the walls 19,20 andtrays or shelves 24 extend from front to rear of the refrigthe trays orshelves 24, are shown made of sheet metal, so that the lips or portions25,

, shown integral with the side walls 19, may be flexed to the desiredangle found necessary for different uses and temperature conditions ofany particiilar refrigerator or any particu lar compartment.

In order to maintain the desired angularity of the lips or portions 25,one or both ends of the lip or portion 25 is shownprovided with a flange26, disposedadjacen't to a wall of the refrigerator; and this flange 26provided with a slot as at 27 to receive a set-screw 28. After the lips25 have been bent outwardly to the desired extent, the set-screw 28 istightened so as to maintain the proper angularity of the lip. Of course,it is apparentthat the lips need not be an integral part of the sidewalls 19, but that they may be hingedly connected thereto,astheset-screw 28 will maintain the proper regulated position. I

The opposite sidewalls 20 of the respective compartments at pointsadjacent to the tops of the different compartments are likewise providedwith the outwardly bent portions or lips 29, substantially identicalwith the lips positions by set-screws 28.

25 and preferably secured in their adjusted With the compartmentsextending from the rear wall of the refrigerator to the front where thedoors (not shown)'close the front sides and having the solid side walls19, 20 and solid bottoms or shelves 24, it is apparent that the onlypoints of communication I between the respective compartments and thethrough the opening at the top of each food holding compartment and flowor drop toward the shelf 24 constituting the bottom of a compartment andhence be caused to pass over and about the various food-stuffs in saidcompartment; while the displaced or warm air in the respective foodholding compartment will rise toward the top at the opposite side wall20 and be discharged through the opening formed by the outwardly slopingportion 29 intothe adjacent warm air duct 21. The

,warm air in the ducts 21 will rise toward the top of the refrigeratorand pass through the opening 22 at the upper end of thecompartmentforming wall 13-and be discharged into contact with therefrigerating medium and thereby chilled and made to flow through bottomopening or throat 14 into the cold air duct 15. With the double or heavywalls 13, the rising air in the warm air ducts when pass ing adjacent tothe walls 13 will not be chilled until it enters the chilling mediumholding compartment, so that proper upward circulation in the ducts 21will not be interfered with, but on the other hand a constantcirculation of air will be maintained.

In order to induce a suflicient amount of cold air to enter therespective food-stuff holding compartments, we provide the bottom of thecold air duct 15 with a back-pressure creating or baflle, means in thenature of a perforated element shown at 30 supported in a suitablemanner,as for example by the flanges 31 on the side walls 19,-at aproper distance, say about six inches or so above the bottom of therefrigerator. In the exemplification, thiselement 30 is shown asconsisting of two superposed perforated plates 30 30 (see Figure 5)slidably secured together or so arranged that a'complete or partialregistration of the perforations in the two plates may be had, for thepurpose of regulating the size of the air holes and thereby controllingthe desired or necessary amount of back-pressure in the cold air duct 15to meet varying conditions and hence giving greater flexibility orjadaptability of the refrigerator to the many different operating enofthe respective food holding compartments may be controlled in keepingwith the contents ofthe respective compartments. Our improvedrefrigerator permits each shelf or compartment bottom 24 to becompletely covered with food without hindering proper circulation ofair.

The bacteria, at least a large percentage thereof, is eliminated fromthe air by reason of the condensation of thebacteria carrying moisturein the chilled portion of the refrigerator and is either deposited onthe fins, where mechanical refrigeration is used, or collects on thebaflles and is drained off with the other moisture where ice is used asthe refrigerant. Hence contamination of different food-stufis, by reasonof the separate compartments, is not possible.

The outwardly bent portions or lips 25 and 29 may extend continuously,from front to rear of the respective compartments or they may be inseparate similar sections asshown more clearly in Figure 4C.

The refrigerating medium compartment is provided with a drain tube as at32, see Figure 3, which may be adjacent to the rear wall of therefrigerator; the bottom of the compartment having a slight downwardslope toward the rear to induce proper drain.

In Figure 6 we have incorporated our novel features in a smaller orsingle type of refrigerator, namely a refrigerator with but a singletier of compartments and therefore consisting of one half or side-of therefrigerator shown in Figure 1. In Figure 6, 33 represents one of themain walls of the refrigerator, the refrigerating element or unit 11being in the top compartment formed by the main refrigerator walls andthe inner double wall 13 arranged in spaced relation with the other mainwall 34 of the refrigerator and formed to provide the passage 22 at topwhich establishes communication between the refrigerating compartmentand the warm air duct 21 adjacent the wall 34 of the refrigerator andextending upward from the bottom thereof, the same as in Figure 1. Thebottom of wall 13 slopes downwardly toward the side wall 33 terminatinga slight distance therefrom to permit the chilled air tofiow downthrough the cold air duct 15 formed between the wall 33 of therefrigerator and the wall or partition 19* which is similar to wall 19in Figure l. The food holding compartments like in Figure 1 are formedby the solid walls or partitions 19", 2O and the solid sheet shelves 24,thus providing independent non-communicating compartments each havingcommunication with the remainder of the refrigerator merely through theopenings formed at the tops of the respective food-holding compartmentsby'the outwardlyflexed portions or bent lips 25 and 29 formed in 'thewalls or partitions 19 and 20, respectively. The cold air passes intoeach compartment through the' openings formed by the lips 25, while the"warmer air passes out from the compartments through the openings formedby the lips 29. The bottom of the cold air duct 15 is also shownprovided with a back-pressure producing element 30 arranged a suitabledistance above the bottom of the refrigerator, like in Figure 1. f

The exemplifications of the invention as disclosed in the drawings havein practice produced the desired results and possess the advantages setforth, especially for dining car refrigeration, but modifications incertain details of construction may be made without, however, departingfrom the spirit of our invention, which has been described in termsemployed merel as terms of description and not as terms of imitation.

What we claim is:

1. A refrigerator provided with. a refrigerant-holding compartment inthe upper end thereof, food-stud holding compartments arranged in avertical tier beneath, all of said.

compartments having solid sides and bottom walls, the bottom of therefrigerant-holding compartment having an opening, an air duct leadingfrom said opening downwardly along a side wall of the food-stuff holdingcompartments and open at the lower end of the refrigerator, a warm airduct leading from the bottom of the refrigerator adjacent the op positeside wall of the food-stud holding compartments and communicating withthe upper end of the refrigerant-holding compartment, an air passagebeneath the lowermost food-stuff compartment communicating with thelower ends of both air-ducts, the side walls of the food-stuff holdingcompartments coincident with the upper ends thereof having openings, andadjustable portions secured at the lower ends of the openings and sloping upwardly outward into both of said ducts,

for inducing direct inflow of cold air fromthe cold air duct into eachof said food-stufl' holding compartments and for effecting eductionaction at the outlet openings of each of.

ly adjacent to the partitions at o posite sides of the food-stuffholding cham ers and in communication with each other at the bottom ofthe refrigerator beneath the lowermost food-stud receiving chamber, oneof said ducts being connected with the bottom of the refrigerant holdingchamber and constituting a cold air duct while the other ductcommunicates with the upper end of the refrigerant holding chamber andconstitutes a warm 'air duct, the partitions adjacent to the upper partsof the food-stuff chambers having openings, adjustable lips secured tothe partitions for regulating the openings, said lips sloping upwardlyoutward into the air ducts for inducing direct flow of cold air from thecold air duct into each of the foodstuff chambers and for effectingeduction action at the outlet openings of each of said chambers, and apair of superposed perforated plates arranged at the lower end of thecold air duct above the bottom of the refrigerator and in advance of thepoint of communication between the lower ends of said air ducts, saidplates being slidable relative to each other whereby the extent ofregistra:

tion of the perforations in both plates may be altered and the speedofoutflow at the bottom of the cold air duct regulated. g

CHARLES G. J UNEAU. WALTER C. MARSHALL.

